Introducing The Garrick Portsmouth, A British Watch With A New Movement Made In Partnership With Andreas Strehler

The Portsmouth is Garrick's first wristwatch to have its own special movement, and its co-designed by one of Switzerland's most famous independent watchmakers, Andreas Strehler. Here's your first look at the watch and the Caliber UT-G01 that powers it.

We told you several English watchmakers might introduce new movements during SalonQP, and so they did. Just a few days after the introduction of the Stamford, a watch Robert Loomes offers with a locally-made movement, Garrick unveiled its first caliber as well (in a wristwatch that is also named after a British city). But this one’s not made in the U.K.

Instead, it finds its strength in an exclusive partnership that ties Garrick to UhrTeil AG, a Swiss movement maker run by Andreas Strehler. Strehler is a key figure in the modern independent watchmaking scene, and sort of an insiders' favorite. He’s on the executive board of the AHCI, he's a Harry Winston Opus series alumni, and he holds of a Guinness Book of World Records record for building the most precise lunar phase wristwatch, ever. Not bad credentials.

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He’s kind of a big deal, is what I’m trying to say, but his flashes of brilliance have almost exclusively shone in watches that break the six-figure mark. So, it’s a bit of a surprise to him partner with a brand committed to making affordable watches, to be honest. This isn't something I was expecting at all.

The Garrick Portsmouth, with a movement designed by Andreas Strehler.

Garrick was launched two years ago, which, in watchmaking years, is like saying it was launched yesterday. But already the British company, based in Norwich, England, has found a niche by creating bespoke pieces for under $5,000.

Using heavily modified Unitas movements, kitted-out with an in-house free sprung balance designed by the team’s chief watchmaker, Simon Michlmayr, Garrick introduced a string of eye-catching wristwatches that show clear self-confidence and a desire to do things the right way. A mainstay of the collection is the use of thermally blued screws, which many watch companies shy away from in favor of chemically treated screws, for example.

Calibre UT-G01 is Garrick's first proprietary movement.

Now, Michlmayr has teamed up with UhrTeil AG on a movement that places the accent on his free sprung balance by showcasing the balance wheel in a large aperture at six o’clock, while the back of the watch places the focus on the pallet fork. The new movement – which Garrick says it will used as a base for more complicated movements as well – is a clear sign of the company's desire to break into a new and more competitive price segment.

The movement is mostly made in Switzerland, but assembled and finished in the United Kingdom.

The company’s first movement is named after Andreas Strehler’s production facility, and, in fact, everything (except for Michlmayr’s free-sprung balance) is made by UhrTeil AG. Like the previous movements used by Garrick, calibre UT-G01 is a hand-wound movement, and it retains the look of a pocket watch movement, particularly when finished with gold frosting. According to Garrick, the movement has a power reserve of 45 hours, and a daily variation of just +3 seconds per day. The movement is assembled at the company’s atelier in Norwich, before it is finished and regulated by a small team of watchmakers.

Other components are made in-house, such as the hands and dials, but the cases are outsourced to a local manufacturer. For the Portsmouth, Garrick has decided to use anchor-like hour and minute hands, a design that debuted in the Norfolk, the wristwatch that really put Garrick on the map. It's something that fans of the brand will love and others might need some time to get used to.

On the wrist, the Portsmouth wears like Garrick's other watches – namely, large, but well.

If you’ve ever worn a Garrick watch, you’ll know exactly how the Portsmouth will sit on your wrist. All of the company’s watches come in cases that are 42mm, and while the size of earlier models was dictated by the use of former pocket watch calibers, Brailsford says he saw no reason to reduce the cases of future models. They're beefy, sturdy watches, but not inelegant or ungainly.

The Garrick Portsmouth, a handsome combination of British and Swiss watchmaking.

The Portsmouth will be priced at £17,995 (approximately $22,365 at time of publishing) and clients will be given the option to choose how they want the dial to be finished. The current "England" motif you see here is only used to showcase the company’s ability to customize the dial – don't have a panic attack, your watch's dial wouldn't look anything like this. The watch comes with either an alligator or a leather strap with pin buckle.